Dos and Donts in Chemistry Lab

1. Wear a chemical-resistant apron/ Lab coat. 2. Be familiar with your lab assignment before you come to lab. Follow all written and verbal instructions carefully. Observe the safety alerts in the laboratory directions. If you do not understand a direction or part of a procedure, ask the teacher before proceeding. 3. When entering the lab/classroom, do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other materials without being instructed to do so. Perform only those experiments authorized by the instructor. 4. No student may work in the laboratory without an instructor present. 5. Do not wear bulky or dangling clothing. 6. Never eat or drink in the laboratory. 7. Wash acid, base, or any chemical spill off of yourself immediately with large amounts of water. Notify your teacher of the spill. 8. Clean up spills immediately. If you spill a very reactive substance such as an acid or base, notify the people in the area and then obtain assistance from your teacher. Acid spills should be neutralized with baking soda, base spills with vinegar before cleaning them up. 9. If chemical substances get in your eye, wash the eye out for 15 minutes. Hold your eye open with your fingers while washing it out. 10. If you take more of a chemical substance from a container than you need, you should not return the excess to the container. This might cause contamination of the substance remaining. Dispose of the excess as your teacher directs. 11. When weighing never place chemicals directly on the balance pan. Never weigh a hot object. 12. Never smell anything in the laboratory unless your teacher tells you it is safe. Do not smell a substance by putting your nose directly over the container and inhaling. Instead, waft the vapors toward your nose by gently fanning the vapors toward yourself. 13. Do not directly touch any chemical with your hands. Never taste materials in the laboratory. 14. If you burn yourself on a hot object, immediately hold the burned area under cold water for 15 minutes. Inform your teacher.

15. Observe good housekeeping practices. Work areas should be kept clean and tidy at all times. Only lab notebooks or lab handouts should be out on the table while performing an experiment. Books and book bags should not be on the lab table. Passageways need to be clear at all times. 16. Always replace lids or caps on bottles and jars. 17. If your Bunsen burner goes out, turn the gas off immediately. 18. Always add acid to water and stir the solution while adding the acid. Never add water to an acid. 19. Report all accidents to your teacher. 20. Absolutely no running, practical jokes, or horseplay is allowed in the laboratory. 21. Thoroughly clean your laboratory work space at the end of the laboratory session. Make sure that all equipment is clean, and returned to its original place.